Hunapu
Hunapu is a fictional character in the Wild Cards series of books. He is a Lancandon Maya of Guatemala and is one of the Hero Twins. History Hunapu spent much of his life in a remote Lancandon Maya village in Guatemala. From an early age he had dreams of Xibalba, the domain of Ah Puch, the Lord of Death. Into adulthood he would continue to return to Xibalba by sacrificing small amounts of his own blood, and speak with the gods there. One day they left him with the message to travel to Guatemala City and meet with his spiritual brother, Xbalanque. Together they were to herald in a new dawn for the Mayan people. Hunapu did as the gods commanded, and he soon found others who were willing to follow him. Among them were the brothers Chan K'in and Bol, the former a dwarf with a seer's gift of vision, the latter a hardened guerilla fighter. He also encountered Maria, a beautiful joker with feathers instead of hair, who became his devoted follower and aide in his rituals. The ranks of his people swelled to form a small army which reached Guatemala City soon after a similar force led by Xbalanque. The Hero Twins were insistent that they had no intention of overthrowing the Guatemalan government – they simply wanted to gain sovereignty for the Indian people and carve out an Amerindian state. The Guatemalan government attempted to crush the insurrection, but Hunapu singled out their general leading the attack and executed him in front of the Guatemalan force, effectively routing them. Wild Card Traits When Hunapu performs a blood ritual he awakens the power inside him. He needs to take a small amount of his own blood and burn it as an offering to the gods. After having done so he can travel to Xibalba, the Quiché underworld. Wounds inflicted in this process heal faster than they would in a normal man, with deep cuts vanishing in a matter of hours. His most extravagant power is his ability to teleport himself, which he can do expertly when the need arises. He is capable of teleporting in close to a target, slash at the throat and blink away before anyone has a chance to react. He uses this tactic to devastating effect once he has determined where enemy commanders are. He can also teleport additional weight with him up to that of another man. Appearance Hunapu is a small man at 5'1", with an aristocratic nose and classic Mayan features. Originally garbed in the plain white tunic of his Lancandon people, he has become accustomed to the warrior-priest attire of his ancestors. Personality Hunapu is a religious zealot. He takes his orders directly from a death deity and quickly loses himself in religious fervour. He is sharp and observant, yet is also naive about the modern world, having grown up in a primitive tribal environment. He speaks a Mayan dialect and some Spanish, but cannot read. Trivia *Hunapu is devoted to his ancestral culture, but ironically Xbalanque knowns more about it than Hunapu does. Selected Reading - "Blood Rights" References